moondoggie
09-18-2008, 07:33
Good Day!
What tricks do I need to know to drop my tank? It has < 18 gallons of fuel in it, which is convenient - I have a 6 gallon gas can I can empty & use, so I'll only have to buy 2 more, plus it appears there's no anti-siphon hardware in the fill tube, like the gassers have.
I have to fix a fuel line leak, & it looks like dropping the tank is the best way to make a quality repair. It leaks where the rubber hose from the top of the tank is crimped to the steel line that heads forward. It's clamped to the frame rail, & I'm not a good enough mechanic to work in that cramped of a space. (Kinda interesting - this is how the oil lines on both my trucks have failed... :()
BTW, I was finally forced to try an idea I had some years ago. This leak was leaking air into the fuel line, so very erratic-running engine. How to find air leaking INTO a fuel line? I bought a cheapo gas cap, removed the pressure / vacuum regulating parts & the handle you turn to remove or tighten the gas cap. There was a hole in the center of the threaded piece just the right size to push a brass 1/8 NPT fitting into, with a little slop. (I used 2 male / female adapter fittings to do this.) So, I put a washer & o-ring on the male end of the 1st fitting, pushed it through the hole in the gas cap part, & threaded the other fitting onto it. When I'd tightened the fittings enough to not leak, the o-ring was compressed just right to seal too. I then connected this rig to my air compressor. I turned the compressor on just enought to make the gauge come off the pin, maybe 2 PSI, threaded my rig into the tank fill hole, & opened the valve on the compressor. The tank popped a little, but nothing was damaged. The leak became glaringly obvious, which was just what I needed.
It occurred to me later that maybe the same thing could have been accomplished more simply & with zero likelihood of blowing up the fuel tank, but I didn't try this. If I'd simply parked the Sub out of the shade, loosened then re-tightened the fuel cap at the coolest part of the day, & wait for the sun to heat it up, that should pressurize the tank too. In this case, the fuel cap would regulate the pressure, so no chance of blowing anything up. Hmmm....next time, I guess.
Thanks & Blessings!
“If an associate asks for loyalty, give him integrity; if he asks for integrity, give him loyalty.” John Boyd
What tricks do I need to know to drop my tank? It has < 18 gallons of fuel in it, which is convenient - I have a 6 gallon gas can I can empty & use, so I'll only have to buy 2 more, plus it appears there's no anti-siphon hardware in the fill tube, like the gassers have.
I have to fix a fuel line leak, & it looks like dropping the tank is the best way to make a quality repair. It leaks where the rubber hose from the top of the tank is crimped to the steel line that heads forward. It's clamped to the frame rail, & I'm not a good enough mechanic to work in that cramped of a space. (Kinda interesting - this is how the oil lines on both my trucks have failed... :()
BTW, I was finally forced to try an idea I had some years ago. This leak was leaking air into the fuel line, so very erratic-running engine. How to find air leaking INTO a fuel line? I bought a cheapo gas cap, removed the pressure / vacuum regulating parts & the handle you turn to remove or tighten the gas cap. There was a hole in the center of the threaded piece just the right size to push a brass 1/8 NPT fitting into, with a little slop. (I used 2 male / female adapter fittings to do this.) So, I put a washer & o-ring on the male end of the 1st fitting, pushed it through the hole in the gas cap part, & threaded the other fitting onto it. When I'd tightened the fittings enough to not leak, the o-ring was compressed just right to seal too. I then connected this rig to my air compressor. I turned the compressor on just enought to make the gauge come off the pin, maybe 2 PSI, threaded my rig into the tank fill hole, & opened the valve on the compressor. The tank popped a little, but nothing was damaged. The leak became glaringly obvious, which was just what I needed.
It occurred to me later that maybe the same thing could have been accomplished more simply & with zero likelihood of blowing up the fuel tank, but I didn't try this. If I'd simply parked the Sub out of the shade, loosened then re-tightened the fuel cap at the coolest part of the day, & wait for the sun to heat it up, that should pressurize the tank too. In this case, the fuel cap would regulate the pressure, so no chance of blowing anything up. Hmmm....next time, I guess.
Thanks & Blessings!
“If an associate asks for loyalty, give him integrity; if he asks for integrity, give him loyalty.” John Boyd